Method for treatment of post-partum abdominal skin redundancy or laxity

Abstract

A system and method for providing treatments of electromagnetic radiation to areas of post-partum abdominal skin. The treatments provide for raising the temperature in a portion of post-partum abdominal skin to a treatment temperature, which is sufficient to reduce the laxity or redundancy of the post-partum skin. In one embodiment the treatment can provide treatment exposures to sub-areas, of an area of post-partum abdominal skin which has been identified for treatment, and bring a temperature of the tissue being treated to at 50° C.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a continuation in part of and claims benefit from U.S. patent Ser. No. 10 / 996,549, filed Nov. 23, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,722,600, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HEATING SKIN USING LIGHT TO PROVIDE TISSUE TREATMENT, which is incorporated herein by reference, and which is a continuation in part of and claims benefit from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 789,139, filed Feb. 27, 2004, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HEATING SKIN USING LIGHT TO PROVIDE TISSUE TREATMENT, which is incorporated herein by reference, and the Ser. No. 10 / 789,139 application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 540,981, filed Jan. 30, 2004, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE ARCHITECTURE FOR DERMATOLOGICAL TREATMENTS UTILIZING MULTIPLE LIGHT SOURCES, AND FILAMENT LIGHT SOURCE TO BE USED IN COMBINATION WITH THE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE ARCHITECTURE FOR DERMATOLOGICAL TREATMENTS, which is incorporated herein by re...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present patent is a continuation in part of previous patents and claims the benefit of various methods and systems for treating skin with electromagnetic radiation (EMR) to achieve various therapeutic effects. One challenge that has been difficult to treat is relatively large areas of loose skin, such as post-partum lax or redundant skin. The present system and method provide a non-invasive, low intervention risk treatment that can be performed in an office setting. The patent describes the use of a filament light source to provide light, EMR, and energy to treat such areas. The system and method use a combination of multiple light sources and a flexible architectural system to treat the skin. The patent also discusses the use of a plastic surgery approach for treating lax post-partum skin. The technical effect of the present patent is to provide a non-invasive, low intervention risk treatment for large areas of loose skin that was previously difficult to treat.

Problems solved by technology

However, in general it has been observed that such application of EMR has not been widely utilized in manner which has been effective to achieve a reduction in, or a tightening of areas of skin where there is a relatively large mass of loose skin.

Indeed, in the past this cosmetically undesirable skin condition has been difficult to treat or eliminate through non-invasive medical means.

One especially challenging area of lax or redundant skin to treat is post-partum lax, or redundant skin, which can take on the appearance of “baggy”, loose, wrinkled, or extra skin, resulting from the simple geometric fact that the abdomen of a pregnant woman undergoes rapid changes in size.

Indeed, in some circumstances the appearance of the postpartum abdominal skin will become more baggy or wrinkled in appearance a number of years after a pregnancy.

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